These extraordinarily plush marshmallows empower your hot cocoa to get dressed for winter.

Homemade marshmallows are simple, straightforward, and irresistible. They are essentially Italian meringue set with gelatin. These ones are made with a hint of cocoa for delicate color and flavor.

If you are looking for a fun cooking project on a snowy day, make marshmallow kisses embellished with handpiped patterns to look like knitted winter hats. And you will be rewarded with a warm cup of happy.

Supplies

WINTER HAT MARSHMALLOWS: INGREDIENTS

1 packet unflavored gelatin

1/4 cup cold water

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup corn syrup

1/4 cup water

2 egg whites

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon cocoa (less or more, depending on your taste and aesthetic preferences)

WINTER HAT MARSHMALLOWS: SPECIAL SUPPLIES

Cooking/candy thermometer

Parchment paper cut into 3" x 3" squares -- 10 pieces

Piping Tips #1 (round), #2 (round), #14 (star), #48 (basketweave), coupler

Piping Bags

Sieve

Pastry Brush

Dusting mixture: 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar + 1/4 cup corn starch + 1 tbsp cocoa, sifted

(Less or more cocoa in the dusting mixture, depending on your taste and aesthetic preferences)

Step 1: Prepare Pans

As cooking goes quite quickly, you must have your pans prepared.

1. Place parchment squares on pans, allowing for plenty of space between each square.

2. Very generously sift dusting mixture over parchment squares.

3. Set aside

Step 2: Bloom Gelatin

Sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup cold water and allow to bloom as you proceed to the next step: cooking the syrup.

Step 3: Cook Syrup

1 Combine sugar, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup water in a pan. Stir until sugar is fully incorporated.

2 Turn heat to medium. You can stir up to the point when sugar is mostly dissolved. You cannot stir after this as stirring will cause the sugar to crystallize. Use a wet pastry brush to wipe away any sugar crystals on the side of the pan.

3 Cook the syrup to 240F.

While the syrup cooks, quickly proceed to the next step: whipping the egg whites.

Step 4: Whip Egg Whites

As the syrup is cooking, you have a couple of minutes to whip the egg whites and cream of tartar. Slowly increase the speed up to medium and stop when the whipped egg whites reach soft peaks.

Step 5: Italian Meringue

Prepared syrup + whipped egg whites = Italian meringue.

Time to cook the egg whites using the hot syrup.

1 As the syrup nears 240F, quickly place the bloomed gelatin in the microwave and heat for 15-20 seconds until liquid.

2 When the syrup reaches 240F, turn the mixer on slow speed. Slowly stream the syrup on the side of the bowl, gradually increasing the mixer speed up to high.

3 Pour in the gelatin.

4 Add the vanilla and salt.

5 Add the cocoa.

6 Continue to whip on high speed until soft-firm peaks form.

Step 6: Pipe Kisses

You are ready to pipe. Piping must be done quickly to ensure the meringue doesn't start to cool and set.

1 Place about two-thirds of the meringue in a piping bag. Cut about 1-1/2" diameter tip of the piping bag.

2 Pipe kisses, gently moving upwards and releasing pressure from the piping bag.

3 Two-thirds of the meringue should make approximately 10 kisses.

Step 7: Pipe Patterns

Place the remaining meringue in a piping bag outfitted with a coupler.

Make sure that you have already planned out your design and which tips go with which "knits". You must use a tip on all kisses (if necessary) before switching to another tip, as you must work quickly before the meringue is too cool and starts to set. Because the marshmallows are on individual parchment squares, you can easily rotate each square to pipe all around each marshmallow.

First, I started with star tip #14

For vertical cable knits, I used tip #14 and piped a tight vertical wave starting from the bottom of the kiss to the top. For horizontal cable knits, I used the same tip and piped a tight horizontal wave across the diameter of the kiss.

Then, I sized down to round tip #2

For smaller, flatter cable knits I used tip #2 and piped tight waves, either vertically (starting from the bottom to the top) or horizontally.

For diamond knits, I used tip #2 to make zig zags that for a diamond pattern.

For dots, I used tip #2.

Step 8: Pipe Bands and Pom Poms

I piped bands on the bottom of each hat using basket weave tip #48.

I piped pom poms on the top of each hat using round tip #1 in a very random motion to make a ball shape.

I had a small excess of meringue enough to pipe tight zig zag as trim along the top of the band using tip #1.

Step 9: Dust and Brush

When the knit patterns are piped, it's time to generously dust the marshmallows with dusting mixture to keep the surface of the marshmallows soft and to prevent sticking.

Place a marshmallow in a sieve to remove most of the dusting mixture.

Use a pastry brush to remove the dusting mixture from the details.

Time to let the marshmallows set for at least 2 hours.